While the Lightning Strikes
by Sangi
Summary: "I'm great company, or so I've heard." After a thank you dinner - or an apology dinner, it's still up in the air - Tahno takes Korra out for a night on the town. Things get a little out of hand once she starts drinking Arctic Sunrises. - A story in three parts. Tahnorra/Tahorra. For a prompt on ficbending and posted for Tahnorra Week.
1. Attraction is a Steady Drizzle

**Title: **While the Lightning Strikes  
**Chapter Title: **Attraction is a Steady Drizzle (1/3)  
**Author: **sangi (honestly-sangi)  
**Disclaimer: **I disclaim any rights to Legend of Korra or the characters contained therein.  
**Rating:** M  
**Words:** 4201  
**Prompt: **originally a prompt at ficbending, but also posted for Tahnorra Week, day 1: AU  
**Char/Pair:** Tahno/Korra  
**Warnings: **Possible OOC, unbeta'd, and explicit content later on.  
**Summary: **After a thank you dinner (or an apology dinner, it's still up in the air), Tahno takes Korra out for a night on the town. Things get a little out of hand once she starts drinking Arctic Sunrises.  
**Notes: **This was originally written for a prompt at ficbending on livejournal, where Tahno takes Korra out dancing. But I finished it all around Tahnorra week, so I decided to post it in conjunction with that. I tried to keep them as IC as possible, considering the prompt, but I'm still unsure of how it turned out. This is an AU where Korra stays in Republic City without the Krew. This first part is SFW, but the last chapter will have some NSFW content. Cross-posted to tumblr and AO3. This is also unbeta'd and I welcome any corrections or concrit.

Happy Tahnorra Week, everyone!

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1.

A soft breeze blew through the window, bringing with it indistinct noises from the city outside: muttered talking, honking car horns, the chugging of engines, and thunder booming in the distance. Lightning flashed, illuminating the dark sky framed by the window, and Korra felt the sudden need to go outside and see the storm unfold. Summer had come to Republic City less than a month ago, rainstorms rolling through the city and periodically leaving it drenched. The snow in the high passes had begun to melt, flooding the rivers winding around the republic. Narook's was crowded tonight: some wanted to enjoy the weather before the storm hit, others just wanted a taste of good, home-cooked food. Most of them were obviously Water Tribe or waterbenders, including Korra and the boy across from her. Speaking of him, she glanced back over to see him examining her while she was thinking.

"You can't be serious," he finally said.

Tahno's overly-loud and sarcastic voice, more forceful than necessary, caught the attention of several other patrons in the restaurant, including her. The others all shot him dirty looks; Korra just smiled. Acting as if he hadn't seen them, he smirked and raised a brow. The Avatar had to admit that he looked a lot better than he had several months ago, after Amon had stolen his bending (his soul). Sitting across from her in the booth, the other waterbender was almost back to his normal appearance. Now that he was sleeping and bathing again, there were no more bags underneath his eyes or greasy hair. His pale eyes, set over a long nose, wide mouth, and stubborn chin, only made him look every inch the arrogant aristocratic man. Not to mention that he smelled like expensive aftershave.

Even after dealing with his attitude all night, she was in a pretty good mood. It was a humid summer eve, Korra's hair was sticking to her neck, and it smelled like the rain that she knew was coming - not the light kind, a sprinkle here and there, but a heavy shower that would leave the city disrupted for days and her cleaning up after it. But the noodles were delicious, as always. Her smile faded as she continued to eat. "Yeah," she said between slurps, "I'm not joking. I've never really been into the whole nightlife scene."

Unruffled, he leaned back in his chair and stirred the broth left in his noodle bowl with an absent twirl of his finger. "I just can't imagine it. I mean, Republic City is the city. People come here just for the parties and dance clubs." Tucked into a corner with his arms splayed across the top of the booth, Tahno looked comfortable in his blue, stylish outfit. He gave her a once over. "You'd be a dance club kind of girl. Not too crazy, not too tame." The look on his face said that it clearly wasn't crazy enough for him.

Shrugging, Korra set down her chopsticks as she finished her last bite. "I didn't come here for the parties. I came here for some other reasons, if you don't remember." Her teasing tone wasn't soft enough to take the light sting out of her comment.

His face fell for a moment before he managed to regain control and look nonchalant. "Oh, I remember quite well, Avatar. I'm not as absent-minded as you." His stress on the first syllable and accent that changed the pronunciation of her title annoyed her; it always did, but she had learned to ignore it. It was his way of dealing, usually, and sometimes it was just to annoy or tease her. Now she had the distinct feeling that he was flirting with her, but she dismissed it. "I just can't believe that you never went out, even with that loser boyfriend of yours," Tahno said. His gaze was a bit intense, and Korra quickly looked away when he tried to catch her eyes.

"Ex-boyfriend," Korra corrected tersely. "And we were generally too busy to party, you know, with all the leftover Equalist Revolution mess we had to mop up."

Silence reigned for a few moments until a small waitress came to take away their bowls. Korra thanked her politely while Tahno watched. He paid no attention to the server, instead focusing his eyes on her face intently, making her uneasy. She turned on him once the nervous girl had gone, leaving the table empty. "What are you staring at?" Tahno didn't answer, but her brows drew close and she placed her palms on the table. "Look, I agreed to an apology dinner from you, but there's no need to be a mule-cat about it."

After a lingering look, he shrugged again. "I believe I specified more than once that this was a thank you dinner." His face twisted, as if it pained him to even say the words 'thank you.' "For healing my bending."

Suspicious, Korra returned his stare for a moment before speaking. "Fine. I wouldn't call it healing, though, it's really more of a restoration. I'm just okay at advanced healing. Master Katara said I didn't have the right disposition for it."

Tahno didn't restrain his laughter, but instead let it out in peals. A couple of his fangirls swooned in the corner. "If you ever need any healing lessons, Avatar, I'm more than willing to help you out." He leered at her.

Korra leaned back in the seat and relaxed again. This was familiar territory.

After her return from the Southern Water Tribe, she had set about restoring the bending of those who had lost it to Amon. Of course, it had to be a huge publicity stunt. Nothing else would do for the hero of the city. General Iroh, still in town with two regiments of soldiers, had helped a fair amount; his handsome face and charismatic charm seemed to be able to sooth even the most irascible city government bureaucrats. Two weeks after she returned, she healed everyone that that they could find. Many ex-benders had simply disappeared, their wills to live disappearing once Amon had taken their bending.

Tahno had been the first one to be healed. He was a perfect candidate, she knew: the famous ex-bender that had led the White Falls Wolfbats to fame. Looking less arrogant than usual in his neatly-pressed clothing, he had kneeled in front of her. The last time she had seen him was before she had left, before her confrontation with Amon, in the police station. He had seemed broken, but as he kneeled he seemed revitalized and anticipatory. She was going to give him his bending back.

The corner of his lips had quirked when she hesitated slightly. "I'm waiting, Avatar," had slipped from his mouth in a teasing voice.

She had let a smile creep onto her face. "You think it's going to come that easy, pretty boy? You're gonna have to beg for it." He had looked up at her, pale silver eyes meeting hers.

"Please, Korra. Please restore my bending." Tahno's tone was overly formal, and less than three seconds later he glowed white. The damn boy always knew how to push her buttons, and now apparently when to retreat. Maybe his time as a non-bender had changed him. Upon standing, he had immediately bent from the fountain of water next to them and she saw the look of exultation on his face. It took her a moment to realize that she was happy for him, a wholly unexpected response considering the way he had treated them. Losing your bending, however, was always an unfair punishment.

A hundred cameras flashed as they captured his triumphant return.

He hadn't said thank you to her then, but he had showed up a few weeks later on her doorstep insisting that he take her out as a thank you gift. She had been dating Mako, though, and her boyfriend had looked less than pleased that "pretty wolfbat boy" had asked her to dinner. Korra had to listen to the bending brothers complain for weeks as his face was plastered all over the newspapers, reporting about his return to fame and the return of his bending. More often than not, they always asked his opinion of the Avatar, and he only ever expressed gratitude for her kindness and bravery. She probably would have gone out to dinner with him, as friends, except for her Mako and Bolin. It was such a contentious topic that Asami, who lived in the city now, refused to comment.

"It isn't a date," Korra had insisted. Mako didn't listen, and Bolin had only warned her that it was probably a bad idea. Leopard-fish never changed their spots, he said in a low voice.

So she had refused Tahno's offer. Not because of her boyfriend - she didn't let the boys dictate her life - but because it wasn't worth the trouble and arguments, and she was really too busy to take a night off anyway. There was always work for the Avatar to do, always another raid on a group of Equalists, always another crime ring and wouldn't she just love to help them out, just this once?

Tahno had a way of finding her, however, and she into him a couple of times a week. He spent time with her around town whenever they saw each other - he was always bumping into her at the market, catching her attention around the tournament arena, yelling her name near the crowded docks. With his sarcastic comments that sometimes had a bite, he had finally convinced her that maybe he wasn't the same ass who had slipped ice chunks into the water he blasted at her in the probending arena. He was still an ass, one who teased her mercilessly, but one with a bit more kindness and caring in him than before. One who understood what it was like to lose a part of your soul along with your bending, changing you forever. Yet she told him no every time he offered to take her out for a thank you dinner.

Then last month Mako had left for a trip to the Fire Nation. Almost five months had passed since their return, and Korra was fully engrossed in mastering airbending. Even if she could now bend air, it didn't come naturally to her, and she had to work at it like she had rarely done before. Mako had come to her one day after training and explained that he wanted to go to the Fire Nation, to the temples and the universities. He had wanted to find himself - whatever that meant - and to visit some of the sacred firebending sites. It was his heritage, one that he'd never had the chance to learn. He'd begged her to go with him but she still had business here in Republic City, still had to master airbending, still had to protect the people. Groups of Equalists were still out there, another rebellion always seemingly around the corner. And if it wasn't the Equalists, it was one of the triads.

Mako had left and Bolin had gone with him. She and Asami had hardly spoken since she got together with Mako and since the other girl took over her father's company. The Air Temple felt empty without them all, though the children and the baby kept it loud enough; the hallways were devoid of her friend's laughter, the temple now lacked any allure for her, and she missed their morning practices.

So maybe she was feeling lonely when she ran into Tahno at the police station earlier this week, or maybe she was tired and bored, because she usually wouldn't have acceded to his dinner request. But when he had asked with a resigned look on his face, she felt guilty she had deprived him of the chance to thank her properly. That, and if she thought about it, she had spent the majority of the past month training with little reprieve.

The police station had been nearly empty when she saw him about to walk out the front door. "Tahno," she called. His head had snapped around, perfectly styled hair curling over his eye. Tahno saw her and smiled, though his grin had a bit more smirk than necessary. He turned and walked toward her, his stride as arrogant as ever.

"Avatar. Lovely to see you."

Her lip had almost curled at her title, but she forced herself to stay polite. Their past few encounters he had acted civilly, and had even made an effort to be pleasant; she could at least return the favor. "I haven't seen you in a while, either. Found something better to do than following me around town?

The other waterbender's laugh had echoed in the hallway of the station. "You obviously misunderstand, Korra. I had thought it was you following me."

Korra placed her hands on her hips. "Me? Why would I be following you?"

"I thought you might be getting lonely, all by your lonesome here in Republic City. Maybe you were looking for some company, or maybe you finally wanted to accept my offer of private lessons?" His sharp smile only highlighted the handsome lines of his face.

She just snorted. "As if, wolfbat boy."

This was when the resigned look had come into his eye, like a spark that had been snuffed out. His tone lost a bit of its usual conceit and drawl. "So then I won't expect you to take me up on my offer for a thank you dinner?" The worst part was that he probably didn't even realize he was doing it; the signs were subtle, but they struck a chord inside her chest.

"Yes," she had responded quickly, before she even really considered it, and was instantly surprised by her own answer. "I mean, yes, I'll let you take me out for an apology dinner."

Tahno's eyes widened a bit, through he quickly smoothed it over with another dashing smirk. "Thought you'd never give in, but I'm just too handsome, aren't I?" She gave him a flat stare and he continued as if he never saw it. "How about Narook's, tomorrow at eight?"

"Yeah, fine. Meet you there." She was already regretting this.

He saluted her with his usual indolent charm as he left and called out to her over his shoulder, voice back to its usual haughtiness. "And I'll remind you that it's a thank you dinner, Avatar. I don't see any reason for me to apologize."

Before she could respond he had slid out the front doors, leaving her frustrated and in the middle of the police station, where she could do little about it. An officer approached her from the side, chuckling beneath her breath. "I see you've met our resident pretty boy?"

Korra looked over at the other woman, piqued at the officer's use of her nickname. "Resident pretty boy?"

"Yeah, he's been in and out of here for a couple of months now."

Her mouth almost fell open in surprise. "For what? What kind of crimes has he been committing?"

The officer looked shocked for a moment before giggling again. "Crimes? No, he's the perfect citizen, even if he's a conceited punk. He comes in for community service a couple times a week. It started a while after he lost his bending; it didn't stop once he got it back. We can always use an extra hand in training, and if we don't need him he doesn't mind stopping by schools on the way home. Even when he couldn't bend, he could at least teach the katas to beginners. Sometimes he's a bit hard on them, though." The woman sent her a knowing glance. "But he wasn't too hard on you, was he?"

Too busy thinking and frowning, Korra hadn't responded. She didn't realize that Tahno knew the traditional forms, the ones that she had learned as the Avatar (from Katara, the master) but had become near-obsolete in probending. It was actually sort of unusual. She had absently wondered who taught him.

Now she sat across from Tahno, with him mocking her like normal as if he had never taken cheap shots at her during the tournament or egged her on in this exact same restaurant. Toe-to-toe, she had said, as their noses nearly touched. She glanced over at him, but Tahno wasn't paying attention to her at the moment, instead winking at two girls sitting at a table in the opposite corner. They giggled, pointing at him and the posters of his face on the wall, now covered with more newspaper clips about his successful return to the bending world.

Korra almost rolled her eyes. And just yesterday she had been thinking he might have changed. Tahno returned his attention to her, a crooked grin still lingering on his mouth. "It looks like the girls here haven't forgotten me."

Repressing the urge to laugh, she just shook her head. "You're the just same as before, aren't you?"

The grin returned full-force. "What reason do I have to change?"

But when they stood to leave several minutes later, she saw him place a large amount on the booth table. "I'll pay for myself," she insisted. The amount he put down was surely more than dinner cost.

Waving his hand dismissively, he herded her toward the door with his body, saluting his fangirls on their way out. "Don't worry about it, Avatar. I'm sure a poor girl like you can barely afford dinner."

She puffed up before she realized what he was doing. "I'm hardly poor." Anymore. "There was no need for you to pay, or to tip so much, either."

"It's my thank you dinner; it would hardly befit me to let you pay. Even if you're a self-righteous do-gooder, I owe you one. And the food was good." Tahno slung his arm around her shoulder as they walked down the street to the next street corner. "Where's your beast?"

Korra shrugged off his arm. "She isn't a beast, and Naga is back on the island. I walked here."

This time his arm snaked around her waist. "You walked across the water?"

"Swam, then. What does it matter? And get your arm off of me. I can walk on my own."

Her waist felt bereft and chilled when he took his arm away. "Are you going back to the island?" Tahno asked.

"Sure. I don't have anything else to do, and I need to be up early in the morning for airbending training."

Silence hung in the air for a minute before one of them spoke. "I still can't believe that you or your loser Fire Ferrets never went out and sampled the nightlife," he said.

"Not this again, Tahno." She meant it as a warning, but he apparently couldn't heed it.

When he next spoke, his drawl had a tinge of mocking amusement. "It figures a girl like you wouldn't want to party."

Korra stopped walking and looked over at him. He stood next to her, hands tucked casually in his packets. Pale silver eyes regarded her from a handsome face that lay in shadow. The full moon hung low in the sky, she knew; any waterbender could feel it. His wide mouth was a straight line, his brows questioning. He isn't close to her, not as close as he's been before, but she's unusually aware of the heat emanating from his body. "What does that mean, pretty boy?" Korra's voice was low.

His practiced shrug irritated her. "Nothing. I just meant that you're the kind of girl who doesn't know how to let the stress melt away."

Steam almost came out of her nose. "Go on. Please."

"You pile on the stress but haven't been able to work it off lately. You're the Avatar and you have responsibilities. Your loser friends are gone and who knows when they'll be coming back. Sure, you practice your bending and spar, but that's not enough. I'm surprised that you've lasted this long without exploding. You're impatient and rash and you weren't meant to be cooped up for this long without a real outlet." Tahno appraised her for a moment, letting his eyes drag up her body. "That's never been enough for you. You need more."

She deflated like a hot air balloon with a hole. Before she could blink, Tahno leaned down and pressed his soft lips against her cheek. "Thank you, Korra. Thank you for returning my bending to me. I owe you more than I can ever repay." It was the most honest thing she had ever heard him say, even more than after he lost his bending, completely devoid of any cockiness or arrogance. She was almost stunned by the gentle look in his eyes. But he turned to walk away before she could spoke, lifting one of his hands in a slight wave. "See you around, Avatar."

Rain began to fall in a light drizzle as Korra ran to catch up with his long strides. "Hey, where are you going?" Tahno stood at the edge of the street and glanced at her as she stopped next to him.

"Leaving." With a deft twist of one hand he bent the water to the side, forming an umbrella of a sort, and held the other hand up in the air. A shiny black car down the street that she had thought empty started to life and rolled toward them.

"Going where? Out to a dance club?"

The corners of his lips twitched. "Maybe. What's it to you, Korra?"

The car came to a stop in front of them, and through the shaded window she could see a driver of indiscriminate age and race. Tahno looked at her expectantly. She inhaled deeply and then sighed. "You're right. Dinner tonight is the first time I've been out in ages, and training gets old after a while. Probending won't start up again for a while, not with all the underground Equalist activity still happening. So maybe I need a little entertainment other than sparring."

Opening the door with one hand, he motioned to the inside of the car. "You're welcome to join me. I'll take you for a good ride. Call it a thank you gift." She frowned as he just stood there. She appraised his open gaze and the hopeful look on his face. After a moment, the rain began to fall a bit harder and he tilted his head to the side. "Just a couple of hours in exchange for the best experience of your life. It's a pretty good bargain."

Her incredulous look and the pink flush that spread cross her cheeks made him sneer. "It won't be the dancing that makes it so great: I doubt you'll even want to dance. It'll be because you're with me." His cocky expression grated on her nerves in an almost pleasant way. "I'm great company, or so I've heard."

She bit her lip and stared at the automobile. Getting in meant that she wanted to go on a wild ride with Tahno; it meant that the night might not end with a warm bed and sleep; it meant that she would be subjecting herself to hours more with this semi-reformed man she barely knew and had previously hated.

Then she remembered the hopeful look on his face as he had asked her out to dinner, the kind of expression Pabu had when he watched them eat food, the expression of a man who was dying of thirst and starting at an ocean full of undrinkable water. Somewhat hesitantly, she made up her mind. "I'll go," she said, watching the way his face lit up as he gestured for her to get in the car.

Korra did so, laughing nervously, and slid across the seat to the far side. She might as well take him up on his offer; how many people got to have a first-hand tour of the nightlife with the Tahno? He was infamous: journalists had plastered pictures of him on the front pages, detailing his excursions and conquests. Besides, he was telling the truth. She rarely got out anymore, and she missed the excitement of adventure and new discoveries. Tahno slipped in beside her, smirking again, arm sliding along the top of the seat, just inches away from her skin. Rain fell in a soft patter-patter on the metal roof of the car, the heat from his arm was soothing, and she had to actively resist leaning into it.

"The Golden Lotus," he said to the driver.

She felt butterfireflies flutter in her stomach as the car began to move.

Tahno must have seen something of her nervousness on her face, because he brought his hand down to massage the back of her neck. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you." His pale eyes smoldered in the dark car.

"I can take care of myself." Her retort lacked resolve, but she still extricated his hand from the back of her neck, where his long fingers had been moving in slow circles against the sensitive skin.

Hand retracted, he just chuckled.

"I know you can, Avatar."


	2. Lust a Hot Rain

**Title: **While the Lightning Strikes  
**Chapter Title: **Lust a Hot Rain (2/3)  
**Author: **sangi (honestly-sangi)  
**Disclaimer: **I disclaim any rights to Legend of Korra or the characters contained therein.  
**Rating:** M  
**Words:** 5295  
**Prompt: **prompt ficbending, posted for Tahnorra Week, day 2: private lessons  
**Char/Pair:** Tahno/Korra  
**Warnings: **Possible OOC, unbeta'd, and explicit content later on.  
**Summary: **After a thank you dinner (or an apology dinner, it's still up in the air), Tahno takes Korra out for a night on the town. Things get a little out of hand once she starts drinking Arctic Sunrises.  
**Notes: **Part two, even if a bit late. This is more where the OOC concern comes in. I also know that the Water Tribe dance is an over-used device (in any fic involving waterbenders), but I used it anyway. This first part is still rated T, but the next chapter will have some M-worthy content. Cross-posted to tumblr and AO3. This is still unbeta'd, and I welcome any corrections or concrit.

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2.

The car pulled up to The Golden Lotus, rolling slowly to a stop. The building's sign was designed in beautiful calligraphy. Water-style, his mother had called it when she taught him, her hand leading his through the motions. Amber-yellow and bright, the lights illuminating the dance club drew him like a moth-fly to a lantern. Tahno glanced over at Korra. Wide blue eyes stared at the ornate, old-fashioned building. The look of uneasy anticipation resting on her face was delicious, and when the car stalled he could almost feel the her swallow nervously.

"What kind of place is this anyway?" she asked. "Am I underdressed?" Beads of sweat dotted her skin, he could smell her: a mix of sea water and smoke. The scent lingered, mixing with the humid air and creating a unique aroma that reminded him of long summer days on Yue Bay.

Tahno just smiled at her, examining her worried eyes. "Stop rambling and don't worry about it." Her brows furrowed at his response and he felt the sudden need to suppress a laugh at her consternation.

Her hand grasped his arm tightly as he moved to exit the car. "What does that even mean? Why won't you tell me anything?"

He placed his forefinger on her lips, which were drawn into a tight line. "Quiet, Avatar." His voice was little more than a murmur, and he saw a visible shiver travel through her spine at the unexpected contact. "Just go with it." The waterbender considered her nervous face for a moment before donning his usual smirk. "You asked for this. Are you regretting it already?"

Tahno gave her no chance to respond, opening the door. As he slipped out of the car, he absently bent the rain away from them again. He heard Korra follow him and shut the door hesitantly.

"I'm not regretting it," she said to his back.

His smile only grew. "Good. I would have been disappointed if you did."

The driver, trained well - that was the only way he hired them - drove off, presumably to find somewhere to park and wait. With the Avatar next to him, he entered the large building. He could immediately hear the noise of loud music in the background, traditional tones of old yueqins overlaid with modern, quick beats from horns, harpsichords, and staccato drums. Her face perked up next to him and he knew she could hear it too, could feel the call in her blood as he did, the pull of the full moon in the sky above them.

Inside The Golden Lotus, a beautiful woman with green eyes and a tight gown stood at a tall table near the front door. The rest of the room was all smooth wood and hanging scrolls, otherwise empty except for periodically placed tables, no hint of the chaos that lay behind the door on the far side. On the left was a large double door that Tahno knew led to a back area full of baths and dressing rooms.

With a charming smile, he approached the woman. "Sir," she greeted in a soft voice. Tahno knew damn well that she had identified him immediately but he appreciated the discretion. From the spark of recognition in her eye as she gazed at the girl behind him, she knew who Korra was as well.

"Good evening. My partner here needs some appropriate clothing, if you could be so kind?" Tahno's charming smile had no impact on the professional. The woman bowed and gestured for Korra to approach. She did so hesitantly. Her gaze searched Tahno's as the attendant led her to a sliding door. When blue met silver, he just smiled. "No regrets, Avatar."

Her face turned red and Korra stuck out her tongue childishly before storming through the open door. The beautiful attendant glanced back at him. "Is there anything else you desire, sir?" He eyed the Avatar as she disappeared down the hallway.

"The usual," he finally said. "And you know where to send the bill." Tahno turned to examine the scrolls on the walls, depicting famous scenes in history, some more salacious than others. After a short time the nameless woman returned, bearing a glass full of sweet summer wine. He thanked her before taking a sip, letting the taste sink into his mouth.

Everything felt so vivid after the restoration of his bending: the wonderful feeling of water surrounding him while swimming in the ocean; the unique sensation of raindrops dripping onto his skin on a rainy night while lightning flashed in the distance; the soft skin of Korra's neck (smooth like water) against his fingers and the scrumptious shiver that had run through her spine at his touch earlier. With the loss of his waterbending had come the dulling of his senses, only returning when Korra placed her hands on his skin and healed him. Nothing else had given him that feeling of fulfillment, not even his pro bono work with the police officers or at the children's bending schools.

Less than ten minutes later a distinctive sound interrupted his musing: the soft sliding of the door opening. He turned, smirking, but his arrogant expression fell when he saw Korra. A long tunic hugged her curves, blue silk embroidered with white clouds, and dark pants billowed around her legs. Her loose hair fell in waves down her back, framing her face and highlighting the bright color of her eyes. She was blushing as she walked toward him. He was surprised; Korra didn't like this kind of clothing.

"Well," he drawled, "you certainly clean up nice, Avatar."

The nervous blush quickly turned into a scowl as she punched his arm. "Shut up, Tahno. Where's the party?"

Setting down his half-empty glass on the table next to him, he tilted his head toward the door leading into the ballroom. "In there," he said. "You ready?"

"I was born ready." He stifled a laugh at her horribly lame comeback - it was quickly becoming a pattern - and tried to take her arm, but she jerked it back. "What did I tell you? I can take care of myself."

Irritated at her stubbornness, he sneered. "This has nothing to do with that, Korra. It will be pretty crowded in there. If we don't stick together we might get separated, and it will take forever to find each other."

Still eyeing him suspiciously, she linked her arm with his. "Fine. But no funny business."

"With you?" He laughed. "Please. As if I'd even be tempted." Tahno could feel her angry glare return as he opened the ornately carved wooden doors, pausing on the threshold of the large, loud room. The waterbender saw Korra's frustration dissipate from the corner of his eye, replaced by curiosity and maybe disgust. The door shut behind them, but she paid it no attention.

No doubt she was accustomed to formal balls, the kind that that the rich and influential held for holidays and festivals. He knew them well. At those events people danced the traditional movements of the different nations and elements, sometimes more a mix of bending and dancing. But here they danced a fusion of styles, the floor a mess of closely lumped and moving bodies. The music had a fast beat, setting blood afire and waking a longing inside of him. The colors of the room were red and dark wood, but with so many people and the dim lights it was hard to tell.

Korra was likely taking in the scene, as he did: a hundred bodies moving together, men and women mingling, some with less clothing than others; two women several paces away that were locked in an intimate embrace, hands wandering and bystanders looking on in wonder; the musicians that were intently focused on their work at the front of the room, playing a kind of booming song that had recently grown popular; a triad member sitting on a chair near the floor, drinking milky white liquid from a small glass. Opium. He steered Korra away and toward the bar.

"This is sickening," she yelled over the din. "I thought you said this would be tame?"

Tahno leaned down close to her ear. "Oh, but Avatar, this is perfectly tame." It was, compared to the other clubs scattered around the city. At least there was some semblance of rules here.

He saw the face she made as they sat on two recently vacated stools at the bar. Glasses sat on the counter and he slid them down the table. "How can they be so close to each other like that?" she exclaimed, looking at the writhing mass of bodies. "It's so hot and sweaty in here, and half of them look completely drunk. Is that girl going to be sick?" Tahno looked to where she was pointing, observing a girl looking very nauseous.

Retuning his gaze to Korra, he raised a brow. "Maybe, and maybe not. She knew what she was signing up for when she came here." He smirked. "Just like you. If you can't take it, you can always go home."

The Avatar sneered. "Are you saying I can't take it?"

Motioning for the bartender, he just let the his smirk do the talking. "Two Arctic Sunrises," the waterbender said when the mixer came over to him. "Put them on my tab." Korra watched with a scowl still on her features.

"What is an Arctic Sunrise?" she yelled over the noise when they were as alone as they could get in a crowded dance club.

Turning in the stool so he could lean against the counter, Tahno indulged himself and examined her features. Blue eyes sat over a straight nose and a pouty mouth, the lips full and a lovely pink hue, her face an oval with a pointed chin and a pert nose. "An Arctic Sunrise is a drink," he finally answered. "I think you'll like it." Korra just made a soft sound of disapproval that he felt more than heard and turned to watch the dancing. A flush rose in her cheeks; following her gaze, he saw a couple moving against each other in way that left no doubt as what they were doing.

"Jealous?" His voice, just loud enough to be heard over the music, caught her attention. Before she could speak, two glasses full of sloshy blue liquid were placed on the bar, distracting them both. Resting in their drinks were two little umbrellas, a paper version of the kind which people used on hot Fire Nation beaches.

Upset at the interruption, Korra shot him a glare - what a firebrand his Avatar was. She picked up the glass, sniffing at it before taking a delicate sip. Her bright eyes immediately closed. "This is good," she said, surprised.

Amused, Tahno sipped at his own drink. He understood her reaction: an Arctic Sunrise tasted like the icy cold waters of the poles, of salt and snow, of nights huddled around a warm campfire and of days spent traversing glaciers. It was a favorite of his, and many other waterbenders in the city, because it was a vivid reminder of home. Korra's eyes met his over her glass, a half-smile forming on her face as if she was apologetic for assuming that he had anything less than perfect taste.

Within five minutes she had ordered a second drink, and within fifteen minutes her eyes were half-lidded and her gaze lingered on his lips every time he spoke.

"No," he told the bartender when she requested another. Her delicious-looking lips, now tinged slightly blue, pouted at him. "No more drinks for you," Tahno addressed her.

"I can take another," she said. Her voice wasn't slurred: she was a member of the Water Tribe, to a man notorious for being able to hold their liquor. The gaze Korra sent him was scalding hot and he felt himself respond to the heat in her eyes. "Not up to the challenge, pretty boy?"

After a moment in which he actually considered it, Tahno shook his head. "It isn't worth it." His tone was darker and Korra had to lean forward to hear him, head tilted to the side slightly as if still waiting for a better response.

Her eager face reminded him of the first time he had seen her after she restored his bending. It had been a day in early spring, the northern flowers blooming already and a light drizzle falling in the late afternoon. The waterbender had been walking lazily along the shoreline, barefoot in the shallows, stirring water absently as he went. Less than a week had passed since he had regained his bending and he spent most of his waking hours practicing and immersing himself in water again. Before Amon had blocked it, he couldn't even recall a time when he couldn't bend - maybe when he was but a child, before he turned five and starting to rock the water in his family's sailboat.

Lost in his own thoughts, he let grains of sand sink between his toes as he traversed the shoreline. Halfway down the beach, he found her. Korra sat on the edge of the water, feet sunk into the sand, her knees brought up with her arms resting atop them. The sun was setting and night creeping over the opposite horizon, and her curled figure cast long shadows on the sand. Tahno slowed, letting his hands drop down to his side as he let go of the ocean water he had been bending. His footsteps fell quietly on the ground, but she still heard and looked up when he approached her.

"Tahno." Surprised and weary, her voice took him by surprise. It was nothing like her usual mocking or angry tones. Korra was an impatient and fiery person by nature, and he rarely saw her without a spark in her eye, without some fire in her soul.

He hesitated before sitting on the ground next to her, the wet sand coating his pants. Tahno winced, thinking of how annoying it would be to get it off. This wasn't the first time, though, that he had sacrificed something for her. "Avatar," the waterbender greeted. "Long day?"

Her shoulders sagged lower. "What does it matter to you, Tahno?"

Silver eyes glanced over her form in the dying sunlight: strands of her hair stuck out of her ponytail, usual blue clothing stained and ripped in places, thick red blood collecting around a couple of cuts. Frowning, Tahno eyed the darkening bruises on her bared arms, lingering on a stray one covering her cheek. "What did you do, challenge a triad boss?" The wry look she sent him chilled his blood. "No," he said, incredulous. "You didn't." When she raised a brow, he sneered. "A bender as bad as you couldn't take on one of the triads and come out with just a couple of scrapes." That he knew.

"You're the Avatar," Korra said abruptly in a deep mocking voice; he wondered if she was trying to imitate Lin Bei Fong. "You have a responsibility to take care of the people of the city, especially if crime lords are using bending to manipulate non-benders - the people who recently rose up in an effort to take us down, and maybe they had something right." Near the end of the sentence her voice lost its sardonic tone and grew thoughtful.

For a moment, Tahno thought she was more the Avatar than she had ever been.

Putting his hands behind him and leaning back, the waterbender just laughed. "They took our bending, and you're still willing to support them?" The curve of his lips was more gentle than he wanted, but she wasn't looking. Besides, he knew what it was like to be an ex-bender in a city that worshipped those who could manipulate the elements: scornful looks while crossing the street, losing discounts at every bar and club, no more pretty girls hanging on your arm and warming your silk sheets. Nothing but another face in the crowd, nothing but another mindless worker.

Korra just snorted. "I don't support them, but maybe I can feel for them." Her hand clenched against her leg, the fingers whitening with the pressure. "I've been reviewing the laws, and it's clear that the city hasn't made non-benders it's priority."

"What are you going to do about it?" She glanced over at him, look questioning. "Well," he explained, "you are the Avatar. You have power in this city, the power to be a catalyst for change."

Visibly perked up, her face began to brighten. She summoned a playful expression. "I didn't know you were such a deep thinker, Tahno."

Behind her, the sun dropped over the horizon at last, leaving the sky a hazy mix of purple and pink. "That isn't your fault; you've never made any impressive claims to intelligence." Tahno meant it to be his departing repartee; however, as he stood, dusting grains of sand off his pants, he felt a splash of cold ocean water drench his head. He stopped completely, looking down at Korra next to him. An innocent look was on her face, but a jubilant smile was fighting to shape her lips. "Oh," he said in a low tone, "I'll get you for that one, Avatar."

"You're welcome to it." Her grin finally won, transforming her face as water dripped from his bangs down his cheeks. Tahno kept his gaze on hers, silver eyes capturing blue, while bending the water out of his hair. After finishing, he turned without another word and began to head back down the beach, toward his side of town.

"Hey! Where are you going?" He heard the sound of shifting sand as she stood to watch him leave.

"Out," Tahno yelled. "You want to come with? We can call it a thank you dinner. I'll even dress up." Korra didn't respond; he glanced back over his shoulder. Her face was pensive, brows drawn together and eyes contemplative. Something sunk in his stomach. "Well, if you don't want to come out and play, I'll give you a rain check. Whenever you're ready, just let me know, and I'll take you for a good time."

When he'd returned home he practiced waterbending for hours, remembering the smile on her face and the way her eyes had lit, just for him, just for his jokes and his banter.

The thought of her happy expression brought him back to the present; a smirk now graced her tanned face, bright blue eyes brimming with an unholy light. He felt the corners of his lips curve in a predatory smile, and her eyes narrowed. "Definitely no more drinks, Avatar. You'll get out of hand and burn this place down, and then momma bear Lin would never forgive me. In fact -" Tahno grabbed her hand as she began to bend someone else's drink into her mouth "- we should move away from the bar."

The man released his grip on her after an intense staring match (which he won, of course), stepping down from the bar and holding out his arm; Korra intertwined it with hers before leaning into his side. Tahno almost stiffened at the feeling of her breasts pressing against his ribs. Damn, was she even wearing anything beneath her clothes? From the sly look she sent him, he doubted it. "Away from the bar, you said. Was that an invitation to dance, Tahno?"

"No." Chuckling at the thought, he tried to pull her toward an empty couch. Maybe if he sat her down for a minute she would calm down, would get used to the special tipsy feeling that Arctic Sunrises seemed to give all waterbenders.

But she resisted his guidance, instead standing on her tiptoes in an effort to reach his ear and forcing him to stop near the wall. Rolling his eyes, Tahno leaned down to accommodate her, and was rewarded with a burst of hot breath against the sensitive skin of his neck. "What if I told you I wanted to dance?" He swore his heart almost stopped in his chest when she pressed against him one more time while speaking, and when she pulled back he saw that her grin was of the ate-the-canary variety.

In response he raised his other hand and traced the line of her jaw, fingers lingering beneath her lips. Tahno felt a smile begin to pull at his lips again. "Is that that an invitation or a question, Avatar?"

Her eyes glowed in the dim light of the room. "Yes," she whispered, and it wasn't the indignant answer he had expected. With all the noise - the sounds of bodies moving together, moans and groans and shouting, and the booming loud music - he couldn't hear her, but her mouth moved and something coiled inside of him at the sight of her curved lips saying 'yes' like a prayer.

Taking him by surprise, Korra's hand grabbed his as she dragged him into the crowd, almost losing him several times as she wound between people. Obviously she had either decided to make the best of this, or she was drunker than he originally thought; he wasn't exactly sober either. Her movements looked like something from airbending, and Tahno found himself admiring the smooth lines of her body. When she reached what could have been the middle of the floor, her hands twisted and bent the air, relocating the people surrounding the pair.

The dancers stumbled away, most inebriated or otherwise distracted, looking around for the cause. But that cause only had eyes for him, and what beautiful eyes they were. A bit cloudy, pupils dilated, and with a devious glint, they were quintessential Korra.

Her lips moved and he had to read them. "Care to join me for a dance, pretty boy?"

Before anyone could move back into their spaces on the floor, the music changed suddenly and she began to dance. Tahno immediately recognized it - a tribal dance, one practiced in both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes. The music was faster than normal, but he found rather quickly that he didn't mind. The dance itself involved a partner, each person dancing one round and bending water, then dancing the last part together while bending. Make that extremely close together - in fact, Tahno was surprised she knew it and wondered who taught her. It was a dance for lovers, bodies pressed so close there was little space left between them, mouths almost touching and breathes intermingling. Something like jealousy boiled in his abdomen. He briefly considered possible reasons why he should subdue her and drag her home, but he buried those thoughts deep, deep in his mind.

He really shouldn't look a komodo-rhino in the mouth.

Horns on the stage blared and drums pounded, but the room suddenly seemed much quieter. Everything else faded. His pale eyes followed her every movement, entranced by the way the muscles in her arms moved. One step forward, two steps back, a twirl, a twist, and then she extracted the water from several people's drinks. Mixing them together with a circular motion of her arms, she turned the liquid a muddy brown.

Korra's body still moved rhythmically to the beat, hips pushing in and out, a seductive smile bowing her full lips as her torso rolled. The soft blue silk of her tunic outlined the curves of her body as she twisted, bending the water with her, feet turning in slow circles. Her body moved as fluidly as the water, less jerky than when she was sober. Tahno smirked even as he felt the blood pump through his veins, as he felt the pull of the moon in the night sky outside.

It would be so easy to interrupt her dance and pull her closer, starting the third part without going through his turn. There was an ache deep inside, one with which he was intimately acquainted, coiling dangerously like a snake about to strike. The others remained outside their circle, few partying again. He didn't doubt that they were just as spellbound as he by her graceful movements, the twisting of her hips, the prominent curves of her breasts through thin fabric. In fact, he thought he saw someone point Korra and him out while winding through the crowd, likely recognizing one or both of them.

He would choose if he wanted to deal with that later: the thought of her waking up tomorrow to pictures of them plastered all over the newspaper was distinctly appealing.

Water twirling in the air above her head, the Avatar suddenly spun quickly as she approached him. Readying himself, feet and hands automatically slipping into position, Tahno received the brown liquid from her with a smooth twist. It was now her time to step back, chest rising and falling with each heavy breath, as he moved gracefully through the motions of the dance.

_I bet you can't do it as well as I can_, Korra's face said.

His hands bending at a quick speed, Tahno danced. His movements were smooth like velvet and deeply sensual. Korra's eyes followed him as she continued her part of the dance, circling around him. When someone stumbled into their sacred circle, she airbent them back out again without glancing away. He knew what his body looked like when he moved - there was a reason fangirls had once followed him around town and dragged him into back alleys while giggling. Well, that and his amazing hair.

Eager for the finale, he hurried through his part. Tahno dipped before splitting the water in two, shooting one half toward Korra. Without missing a beat, she grabbed it out of the air and approached him, turning at the last moment. He did the same, pressing their backs together. Sweat now covered his face and chest, soaking through his clothes. The club was ventilated, he knew: maybe the humidity of the summer night had seeped in, or maybe all the bodies in the room gave off a certain heat, or maybe he couldn't stop thinking about the way her bottom shifted against his when she moved sensuously behind him.

They slowed with the music, dancing in a circle, bending together. "You do know bending like this isn't allowed in here?" he yelled.

Korra's response was a low laugh. "They haven't stopped me yet." Their muscles growing tired, they turned and faced each other. She was shorter than him by several inches, both of their arms behind their backs and swirling the alcoholic liquid. Her height didn't stop her from tilting her face up and letting her lips graze his chin. Mischievous eyes looked up at him. In retaliation, he freed one of his hands during their next turn and pinched her upper thigh, letting his hand linger long enough to caress it. A dark growl reached his ears. "I felt that, asshole," she said.

"Good. Feel like returning the favor?"

And when their faces next came to look at each other, there was no room, no distance between them. Korra, the obvious mastermind of this plan, wet her lips while her breathing became erratic. Standing on her toes, her breasts were smashed against his chest, her toned body aligned with his stomach, her hot breath washing over his lips. He responded quickly and he had to suppress the urge to stop everything and kiss her. "Fuck you." Tahno's raspy voice had dropped several octaves. She just laughed until he pointedly thrust his hips against her. "Silly little Avatar, did you think I was joking?"

A dark blush spread over her cheeks. "No thanks," she said while spinning. "I've heard what the fangirls say about you."

His hand brushed against her breast, cupping it for the slightest of moments. "The only reason they say that is so they can keep me to themselves." Korra's breath hitched.

"Oh, really? That must be why you're dancing with them right now." Her hand slipped beneath the bottom of his shirt, fingers dancing over his muscles.

Tahno pressed a hard, fast kiss on her neck when she exposed it. She smelled of sweat and ocean and desire. "I may have been with them," he whispered, "but I never said I wanted to keep them." Their eyes met, hers surprised and his fierce; Tahno hopes his didn't scream _but I do want to keep you, preferably naked in my bed, boneless and moaning my name_.

_You're a cheater and a liar, _he could see her saying, _and why should I go with you?_

The music began to crescendo and he realized that the crowd was clapping along to their movements drunkenly, others trying to emulate them (and failing miserably). Snaking an arm around her waist, he prevented her from turning away. When her hips rolled into his Tahno groaned, fingers clenching in the fabric of her top. He supported her as her knees buckled for a moment. Smirking, he leaned down to Korra's ear. "If you weren't ready to finish the game, you shouldn't have started playing."

She wound an arm around his neck. The steps of the dance fell away, both of them now just instinctively moving. "I'll finish it," she whispered, eyes locked on his. "And I'll win."

Laughing, he brought his hand up from his waist to cup her face, the other one spinning the water into a tight sphere at his side. "But you don't even know what we're playing."

In that moment he relinquished control on the water. Her hand reached upward, projecting it toward the ceiling and freezing it. Tahno then clenched his hand into a fist and the block of ice burst into brown snowflakes, fluttering to the ground like autumn leaves. Their faces cooled as ice melted on their hot skin.

"Nice touch," Korra said, admiring his handiwork.

Smiling, he tilted her head back toward him. "I know what you're wondering. The answer is yes: I'm just that good."

A frown started to form on her face, but then he kissed her, long and hard, one hand clenched on her hip and the other softly caressing her cheek. After a confused moment, she responded heartily, lips moving against his as if she was dying of thirst and he was cool water. He managed to pull her even closer, Korra's arms linking around his neck. He parted her lips with the tip of his tongue while his hand slid around her waist, tracing abstract patterns on her skin through whispering silk. He slanted his mouth over hers more fully and when she pushed back, tongue sliding against his, it felt like electricity shot thorough him.

They eventually surfaced for air. He broke the kiss and bit her bottom lip, noticing that both were swollen and red and all because of him. Korra moaned softly, rubbing herself against him; it was intoxicating seeing the Avatar in his arms like this, the rash and fiery woman now a purring armadillo-cat. With a satisfied smile, he pulled back and watched her eyes open hazily. His amused laugh at her unmasked passion brought Korra to awareness, a blush stealing across her face when she realized their position.

"And here I didn't think you were that kind of girl, Avatar. I must be rubbing off on you." Tahno's fingers caressed her exposed collarbone. "I've always said that I would give you some private lessons."

Korra's answering laugh sent a pleasurable shiver down his spine. "This is hardly private, Tahno."

"The offer still stands." He eyed her lips. "You could certainly use practice."

Her snarl warmed Tahno's blood. "I'll show you practice," she said, pulling his face back down to hers.

Tahno smiled into the kiss. She made it so easy for him.


End file.
